Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Single-seat sport aircraft

Power Plant:

One 86 kw (115 hp) Cirrus Hermes II four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The ABA sport aircraft was designed and built by Mr Cecil Arthur Butler [1902-1980 – born in Sparkhill in Warwickshire in the United Kingdom] in 1930 as a shoulder-wing monoplane for the sport aviator. Butler had served an apprenticeship at the Small Arms Factory at Lithgow, NSW and later worked as a mechanic for the Larkin Aircraft Company on the Adelaide, SA to Cootamundra, NSW service operated by that company’s subsidiary, Australian Aerial Services. At one stage he bought an Avro 504 fitted with a Sunbeam engine for joy-riding operations with Mr Frank Smith. He later purchased an Avro Avian. Later again he worked with Murray Valley Aerial Services and flew the Larkin Lascoter and the de Havilland DH.50.

Arthur Butler, as he was known, then set about building an all-metal aircraft of his own design in a small shed at the rear of the property owned by Mr R Hulford on Yass Road, Cootamundra, installing an 86 kw (115 hp) Cirrus Hermes engine to the machine. He planned to remove the Cirrus Hermes engine from his Avro Avian, the latter aircraft being damaged in an accident near Wee Waa, NSW in 1930.

On 7 October 1930 the ABA was ready to fly and reports of the time stated it was now that its splendid aerodynamic qualities were demonstrated. Upon opening up to give it a good fast ground test the machine flew itself off at about 64 km/h (40 mph) and settled into a steady climb without any attempt being made to control it in any shape or form. Two minutes after take-off it had climbed to 610 m (2,000 ft) and the airspeed indicator went to 174 km/h (108 mph). It was described as the first successful flight of an all-metal Australian-designed, Australian-built, aeroplane. However, the following day, 8 October, a strong wind under the starboard wing tilted the aircraft, a tyre coming off the rim, and consequently the propeller and undercarriage were damaged.

The following day repairs had been effected to the aircraft and another test flight was made. On this occasion the speed was measured over a 3.2 km (2 miles) course and the cruising speed was found to be 201 km/h (125 mph) at 1,800 rpm and 222 km/h (138 mph) at full throttle of 2,100 rpm.

Butler had always wished to fly the aircraft to the United Kingdom and set about arranging to do this, intending to seek a Certificate of Airworthiness after arrival. He took drawings for the aircraft to the Engineering Section of the Civil Aviation Board in Melbourne, VIC. Assistance with the flight was to be made available by the Vacuum Oil Company and the route was to be from Cootamundra, via Cloncurry, Darwin, Surabaya, Singapore, Rangoon, Calcutta, Jhansi, Bushire, Baghdad, Athens and Rome, to London, in what was expected to take seven days.

Butler stated at the time the aircraft was designed to take a 112 kw (150 hp) Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose engine and this was expected to provide a max speed of 257 km/h (160 mph). Fuel was contained in two tanks, with a capacity of 82 litres (18 Imp gals) each, one built into each wing root in order to minimize drag. The fuselage beneath the centre-section was covered with aluminium but it could be converted to provide seating for two if required. The fuselage was built of 2.54 cm (1 in) steel tube and was wire-braced. It had wooden formers for the fabric covering. The tailplane was fully cantilevered and could be adjusted from the pilot’s seat by a small handwheel. The wing spars were built up of 5.08 cm (2 in) steel tubes spaced by round steel tubes and on each side was bolted a girder-shaped plate cut out of sheet steel. Round tubing was used for compression struts, and the whole structure was wire-braced internally.

The aircraft was allotted the registration VH-UPE (c/n 1 – Registration Certificate No 403) in October 1930. On 10 October it left for Melbourne to be inspected. However, near Wagga Wagga, NSW the engine commenced to vibrate and a forced landing was made on the local racecourse. On this occasion the undercarriage, propeller and airframe were damaged. The aircraft was dismantled and stored in a building at the racecourse, later being conveyed to Cootamundra to be rebuilt.

Butler then became worried about the reliability of the Hermes engine for a trip of the length planned. The project to fly to Britain was then abandoned and the engine was re-fitted to the rebuilt Avro Avian. Butler then sought to use the Avian for joy-flights in order to purchase a Gipsy Mk III for the Butler ABA. He flew the Avian to Melbourne with a paying passenger but on return he found the wings had been badly damaged. He had no money now to rebuild the aircraft so it was scrapped at Cootamundra, the Avian was sold, and he travelled to the United Kingdom by ship.

The aircraft only appeared on the Australian civil register for twelve months and its certification lapsed in October 1931.